If anyone can run past Baylor to the national title, it might be Notre Dame and guard Skylar Diggins. / David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports

by Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY Sports

by Kelly Whiteside, USA TODAY Sports

Can anybody beat Baylor? Expect that to be the dominant theme throughout the NCAA women's basketball tournament, which begins Saturday.

As expected defending national champion Baylor, Notre Dame, Connecticut and Stanford earned No. 1 seeds when the 64-team field was announced Monday. The same four teams also earned top seeds last year; it's the first time that has ever happened in consecutive seasons.

"Nothing's different this year," Baylor star Brittney Griner said. The game's most imposing player was referring to the team's goal to win another national title, but she could have been talking about the top-seeded teams in the tournament.

The top four teams also advanced to the Final Four last year with Baylor knocking off Notre Dame in the title game.

Seven of the top eight seeded teams are the same from 2012; No. 2 seed California is the only newcomer.

"We look at previous matchups during the regular season and first and second round matchups in previous years," said Carolayne Henry, chair of the Division I women's basketball committee, adding that it's difficult to project further into the bracket.

While unpredictability may be the hallmark of the men's tournament, sustained dominance has been the theme in the women's game. UConn and Stanford have competed in the past five Final Fours.

Stanford (31-2) handed Baylor (32-1) its only loss this season, ending the Bears 42-game winning streak in November. The two could meet again in the national semifinal on April 7 in New Orleans.

Baylor is hoping to become the fourth different school to win consecutive NCAA championships, joining Southern California, UConn and Tennessee.

The Bears could be challenged along the way by the No.2-seeded Lady Vols, who have made every NCAA tournament since it began in 1982. Though the Vols have been mainstays in the tournament, this will be the first time coach Pat Summitt won't be on the sidelines after retiring last season due to early onset dementia.

Stanford hopes to finally give its Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer a national championship for the first time in 21 years. However, the Cardinal don't have an easy road since they could face No. 2 seed California in the regional final. The Golden Bears ending the Cardinal's 81-game conference winning streak in January.

UConn (29-4) has lost to Notre Dame (31-1 )three times this season, including in the Big East championship game last week, and the two rivals could meet again on the other side of the bracket in the national semifinal. If so, it would be the third consecutive meeting in the national semifinal.

UConn won't have to travel very far before then. The Huskies play their first two rounds at home and if they advance, they would play the next two rounds in Bridgeport, Conn. The Huskies are hoping for their eighth national title, which would tie Tennessee's record.

UConn guard Kelly Faris said the Huskies are looking to redeem themselves after falling short of expectations. The Huskies didn't win the Big East conference regular season or tournament title for the first time in 19 years.

"This is our last chance to respond in the right way, respond how (coach Geno Auriemma) teaches us to, and the way he challenges us to," Faris said. "This is our last chance to step up and make something of it."

The most intriguing matchup for UConn could be a possible game against Delaware in the regional finals. Senior Elena Delle Donne, the nation's second-leading scorer, had signed with UConn but transferred to Delaware before her freshman season to be closer to her family.

Notre Dame is the only No. 1 seed not hosting the early rounds. The Irish will have to travel to Iowa City for the first two rounds and then Norfolk if they advance. It was expected the Irish might end up in Columbus, Ohio, a neutral-site floor. (Ohio State did not make the tournament.) The Irish could face host Iowa in the second round.

One factor was location, Henry said. "We looked at Notre Dame in Columbus and when we looked at the mileage, Notre Dame is slightly closer to Iowa than it is to Columbus," Henry said.

After losing in the title game the previous two seasons, the Irish hope third time is a charm in Skylar Diggins' senior season. Their conference, the soon-to â??be-torn apart Big East earned eight bids, more than any other conference.